Is it self-interest or public interest that dominates Western politics? In this book, which combines in a novel way insights from different fields, including rational choice theory, political philosophy, and electoral research, Leif Lewin examines more than two- hundred studies of democracy in action from seventeen countries. He looks at the behavior and attitudes of voters, bureaucrats, and politicians, in turn, and shows that the plausible and prevalent theory that egoism rules simply doesn't match the facts. This intriguing study will be of special interest to students of comparative...
Is it self-interest or public interest that dominates Western politics? In this book, which combines in a novel way insights from different fields, in...
The tension between culture, politics and economy has become one of the dominant anxieties of modern society. On the one hand people endeavor to maintain and develop their distinct cultural identity; on the other there are many forces for greater international integration, driven by free trade and political cooperation. How to understand and explain this fundamental issue is illuminated in this collection of nine essays by scholars from various countries and disciplines.
The tension between culture, politics and economy has become one of the dominant anxieties of modern society. On the one hand people endeavor to maint...
This book empirically analyzes how a minority can succeed in having its way in a modern democracy. The author applies modern rational choice theory to examine such paradoxical triumphs in Swedish domestic politics over the past 100 years. Identifying Arrow's paradox, Prisoner's Dilemma, and other famous game-theoretic matrices, eight important issues in Swedish parliamentary history are explained: the tariff issue in the 1880s, the introduction of universal suffrage, the introduction of parliamentary government, the new economic politics during the 1930s, the debate on planned economies, the...
This book empirically analyzes how a minority can succeed in having its way in a modern democracy. The author applies modern rational choice theory to...
This book empirically analyzes how a minority can succeed in having its way in a modern democracy. The author applies modern rational choice theory to examine such paradoxical triumphs in Swedish domestic politics over the past 100 years. Identifying Arrow's paradox, Prisoner's Dilemma, and other famous game-theoretic matrices, eight important issues in Swedish parliamentary history are explained: the tariff issue in the 1880s, the introduction of universal suffrage, the introduction of parliamentary government, the new economic politics during the 1930s, the debate on planned economies, the...
This book empirically analyzes how a minority can succeed in having its way in a modern democracy. The author applies modern rational choice theory to...
It is common for political leaders to claim they have no control over bad outcomes. Indeed, they often cite the arguments of political theorists and public intellectuals as to why: history rushes onward oblivious of human will; force and violence overcome political aims; globalization undermines the actions of national leaders; the bureaucracy sabotages their intentions; bad outcomes are often the unintended result of actions.
In Democratic Accountability, Leif Lewin examines these reasons and argues that they are unconvincing. He makes his case by describing and analyzing...
It is common for political leaders to claim they have no control over bad outcomes. Indeed, they often cite the arguments of political theorists an...
Because the world has long seen Sweden as a pioneer of democratic socialism, the success or failure of social experiments there has had momentous impact on the development of similar programs elsewhere. Now, in this penetrating inquiry undertaken by one of Sweden's leading political scientists, the problems and practices of Swedish trade unions are fully revealed.
Leif Lewin is interested in finding answers to several central questions: How democratic are Sweden's unions? How are they governed? How have they avoided the institutional inequities that plague some American unions? What...
Because the world has long seen Sweden as a pioneer of democratic socialism, the success or failure of social experiments there has had momentous i...
One of the most promising trends in modem political science is the develop ment of a theory of politics as rational action. Focussing on choice as the central topic of study, rational choice theorists set out to specify what alter native an actor should prefer if he has some given knowledge of the conse quences of each alternative and wants to see his preference system as fully realized as possible. But rational choice theory is not confmed to the norma tive sphere of science. It can also be used for explanatory purposes. Then, the alternatives actually chosen are specified and the task is to...
One of the most promising trends in modem political science is the develop ment of a theory of politics as rational action. Focussing on choice as the...
It took two hundred years to implement democracy within the nation-state, from the emergence of democratic theories during the Enlightenment to the introduction of popular government after World War I. If the same process were to follow at the international level, and the treaty of Versailles was taken as the baseline for the calculation, a democratic world order could be expected to emerge by 2119 - hence the title of this book. The point is the long perspective. Most scholars in mainstream political science and international relations are skeptical of the prospect of global democracy and...
It took two hundred years to implement democracy within the nation-state, from the emergence of democratic theories during the Enlightenment to the in...
